Cassie-b

Make your own fudge sauce

Several weeks ago, we wanted ice cream with some fudge sauce on top.  We were all out, so I found a recipe to make my own.  It takes only a couple of minutes, and is the best I’ve ever had.  I used the Her...ey’s Special dark cocoa.

1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa (I use the dark cocoa)
1 and a half tablespoons cornstarch
dash of salt
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together dry ingredients in a 1qt casserole or 2 cup glass measure. Stir in water.

Cook in microwave oven on full power for about 1 1/2 mins. Stir halfway thru cooking. Blend in butter. Cook on full power for 1 min. or till butter is melted. Stir halfway thru cooking time. Blend in vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Makes 1 cup
Store in refrigerator - lasts a long time, if you can resist.

Are you Ready for Some F00TBALL?

Thinking about the upcoming S. Bowl? 

I found this recipe that I’m going to try for game time.  It sounds good - and very easy

Tipsy Kielbasa Appetizers

1 package kielbasa
1 bottle chili sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1 can beer

Slice kielbasa into 1-inch pieces. Place in saucepan. Combine chili sauce, brown sugar and beer. Pour over kielbasa, and simmer for 45 minutes. Serve warm with toothpicks.

FREE!

When I opened my mail yesterday, one envelope claimed (in very large letters) “Open Immediately and claim your free gift!”

I was a bit dubious, but opened it .  Inside, they announced that you could collect your free gift just by joining their cause with a donation of $20.00.

Amazing!  And I thought I knew what free meant.

SALM0N

We have salmon often.  It’s delicious, and healthy.  Usually Don grills the salmon outside on the grill, but I thought we could try something different this time.
I found this recipe on the internet, and decided that it would be a good new recipe to try.
It was delicious!

Salmon with Dijon Mustard Sauce

Fish
4 (6 oz. each) salmon fillets, with skin
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. apricot preserve, honey, or maple syrup
~ Salt and pepper

sauce
2 Tbsp. plain yogurt or sour cream (I used sour cream)
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. cognac, whiskey, or white wine (optional)
2 Tbsp. chopped mint, cilantro, parsley, or dill (optional) ( I had fresh parsley, so that’s what I used)
~ Salt and pepper to taste (I skipped the salt)

To make salmon
Preheat the broiler, and wrap a broiler pan with aluminum foil.
Rub the salmon with salt, pepper, and olive oil on both sides. Place in the broiling pan skin side down.
Spread your preserve, honey, or maple syrup on the flesh side of salmon that’s facing up. (If using apricot preserve try to avoid the chunks as they will burn under the broiler.)
Cook salmon for 6 minutes per inch of thickness for medium doneness (8 minutes for well-done). Start it under the broiler (4 inches away from the flame) and check it every couple of minutes. As soon as the top browns, turn down the oven to 400 degrees, and move the salmon to the middle of the oven to finish cooking.
To test for doneness, separate the flakes in the thickest part of the fish with a fork and peek inside. Salmon is cooked to medium when you can separate the flakes at the surface, but get a good bit of resistance in the center of the fillet; the flesh will look very translucent. After salmon rests for 5 minutes it will flake, but still be a little translucent in the center. If you prefer your salmon well done, cook it until only a trace of translucency remains in the center. After a 5-minute rest, it will be completely opaque.

To make the sauce
While salmon is cooking and resting, make the sauce. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Thin out the sauce with 1-2 Tbsp. of water until it’s barely thicker than heavy cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place salmon on serving plates (if the salmon skin sticks to aluminum foil, just leave it there), pour the sauce on top, and serve.

SN0W

NEW YEAR’S RES0LUTI0N

EVERY OTHER YEAR RESOLUTION
I make a new year’s resolution every other year - And that is to try at least one new recipe a week.
It’s something I like to do, and my personal cookbook has grown a lot in the past few years.
This year I’m planning to post all the good ones.  The not-soo-good ones, I won’t pass along.

Here’s my first of the New Year:
This year we got a gift of Buttery Brie, probably my favorite cheese.  I’ve never done anything special with the cheese, so this year seemed the perfect opportunity.
Baked Brie

1 (13-16 oz) whole Brie cheese with rind left on
3 Tbsp strawberry preserves
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1-1/2 Tbsp sliced toasted almonds
Toasted Bread Hearts and Crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the Brie on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the Brie is soft and warm, but not runny. While the Brie is baking, heat the preserves and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan until thick and bubbly and then remove from the heat.

Remove the Brie from the oven and transfer to a serving dish. Arrange the strawberries on top of the Brie. Drizzle with the heated preserves and sprinkle with the nuts. Serve with crackers or toasted bread hearts.

The opposite year that I don’t make a resolution, 
I get to retry some of those recipes, 
and make my own personal adjustments.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

Pumpkin Soup

I made pumpkin soup from my new cookbook (Christmas present) and a pumpkin that the birds planted for us this summer in our yard.

It was absolutely delicious.  Here’s a copy of the recipe.

Pumpkin Soup

1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin - I used pumpkin from the garden
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup heavy whipping cream - I used milk (still good)
Directions
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Remove from the heat; stir in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in broth, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add cream; cook for 2 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 6 servings.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pumpkin-Soup

Season’s greetings!

Holiday Preparations

The new word

I love it.  I have a few people that I’d like to UNFR!END.

To unfriend means to remove someone from a friends list on Facebook, a popular social networking site. The choice of unfriend as the word of the year was is very reflective of the way people interact on social networks nowadays. Some people have such a strong following on Facebook and other social networks that the marginal value of being friends with anyone person becomes negligible. Moreover, the levels of activity on Facebook and other online social hubs is on the increase, meaning the amount of data generated per Facebook user is growing. Many users realize that reading an increasing number of status updates, inbox messages, and notes from hundreds of Facebook ‘friends’ is becoming increasingly overwhelming. As the result, many of them end up unfriending people in hundreds to free up their feeds.

http://www.nowpublic.com/world/unfriend-oxford-dictionarys-word-2009

Cant wait to play this new word in SCRABBLE